raymond_jenkins
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What is the recommended lye solution strength for CP? SoapCalc has a default of 38%. I am superfatting at 5%. Does 38% lye solution sound right?
Lye Solution Strength
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Meganmischke
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That is considered full water. If this is your first batch or you are still learning leave it until you get comfortable. After that you can use less which is known as a water discount. I would get confident in your soaping abilities before discounting.
wetshavingproducts
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The amount of lye remains the same. It is determined by your superfat. The amount of water increases/decreases as the % of lye decreases/increases, the lye amount is constant.
raymond_jenkins
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This is my first venture into cp. I've been doing mostly MP, scrubs, and lotions as an add on to my candle business. Just trying to get comfortable with CP so that I can add it later to my line. Lots more reading and testing to go.
"...recommended lye solution strength for CP? SoapCalc has a default of 38%...."
To be persnickety about it -- that 38% default is NOT the solution concentration. This is the amount of water figured as a % of the oil weight. When a recipe uses the water as % of oil weight default, the actual lye solution concentration will vary depending on the saponification value of the fats in the recipe. That just doesn't make any sense from a chemistry perspective.
One can calculate the NaOH and water required in terms of solution concentration or as a water:lye ratio, but neither of these options is the default option in SoapCalc.
Most people start with a 27-28% NaOH solution concentration (this is the lye concentration number, not the "water as % of oils" number), but many soapers at least try a 33% or 40% NaOH solution concentration to see how it works for them. Some recipes work better than others.
Lower lye solution concentration => more likely to reach gel, slower to trace, higher possibility of streaking and mottling, better for recipes with high % of solid fats, more predictable for beginners.
Higher solution concentration => less likely to gel, faster trace, better for recipes with high % of liquid fats, trickier with fragrances that are prone to seize or rice.
To be persnickety about it -- that 38% default is NOT the solution concentration. This is the amount of water figured as a % of the oil weight. When a recipe uses the water as % of oil weight default, the actual lye solution concentration will vary depending on the saponification value of the fats in the recipe. That just doesn't make any sense from a chemistry perspective.
One can calculate the NaOH and water required in terms of solution concentration or as a water:lye ratio, but neither of these options is the default option in SoapCalc.
Most people start with a 27-28% NaOH solution concentration (this is the lye concentration number, not the "water as % of oils" number), but many soapers at least try a 33% or 40% NaOH solution concentration to see how it works for them. Some recipes work better than others.
Lower lye solution concentration => more likely to reach gel, slower to trace, higher possibility of streaking and mottling, better for recipes with high % of solid fats, more predictable for beginners.
Higher solution concentration => less likely to gel, faster trace, better for recipes with high % of liquid fats, trickier with fragrances that are prone to seize or rice.
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